clock speed

In a computer, clock speed refers to the number of pulses per second generated by an
oscillator that sets the tempo for the processor. Clock speed is usually measured in MHz
(megahertz, or millions of pulses per second) or GHz (gigahertz, or billions of pulses per
second).
The CPU requires a fixed number of clock ticks (or clock cycles) to execute each instruction.
The faster the clock, the more instructions the CPU can execute per second. Clock speeds are
expressed in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz ((GHz).

cache
A CPU cache is a cache used by the central processing unit (CPU) of a computer to reduce the
average time to access data from the main memory. The cache is a smaller,
faster memory which stores copies of the data from frequently used mainmemory locations.

Hard drive
A hard disk drive (sometimes abbreviated as Hard drive, HD,
or HDD) is a device used to permanently store and also retrieve
information. There are many variations, but their sizes are generally
3.5" and 2.5" for desktop and laptop computers respectively. A hard
drive consists of one or more platters to which data is written using a
magnetic head, all inside of an air-sealed casing. Internal hard disks
reside in a drive bay, connect to the motherboard using an ATA, SCSI,
or SATA cable, and are powered by a connection to the PSU (power
supply unit). The images below show the components of a hard drive
inside of both desktop and laptop computers.
Tip: The hard disk was first introduced on September 13, 1956.

Hard drive components

As can be seen in the above picture, the desktop hard drive consists of the
following components: the head actuator, read/write actuator
arm, read/write head, spindle, andplatter. On the back of a hard drive is a
circuit board called the disk controller.
Tip: New users often confuse memory (RAM) with disk drive space. See
ourmemory definition for a comparison between memory and storage.

How is data read and stored on a hard drive?

Data sent to and from the hard drive is interpreted by the disk controller,
which tells the hard drive what to do and how to move the components
within the drive. When the operating system needs to read or write
information, it examines the hard drive's File Allocation Table (FAT) to
determine file location and available write areas. Once they have been
determined, the disk controller instructs the actuator to move the read/write
arm and align the read/write head. Because files are often scattered
throughout the platter, the head needs to move to different locations to
access all information.
All information stored on a traditional hard drive, like the above example, is
done magnetically. After completing the above steps, if the computer needs
to read information from the hard drive, it would read the magnetic
polarities on the platter. One side of the magnetic polarity is 0, and the other
is 1. Reading this as binary data, the computer can understand what the
data is on the platter. For the computer to write information to the platter,
the read/write head aligns the magnetic polarities, writing 0's and 1's that
can be read later.
RAM
Volatile memory is memory that loses its contents when the computer or hardware
device loses power. Computer RAM is an example of a volatile memory and is why if
your computer freezes or reboots when working on a program,
When a program such as your Internet browser is open, it is loaded from your hard
drive and placed into RAM, which allows that program to communicate with the
processor at higher speeds.
CD
A CD is read by focusing a 780 nm wavelength (near infrared) semiconductor laserthrough the
bottom of the polycarbonate layer. The change in height between pits and lands results in a
difference in the way the light is reflected. By measuring the intensity change with a photodiode, the
data can be read from the disc.

A laser beam reads the CD and is reflected back to a sensor, which converts it into electronic data

a change from pit to land or land to pit indicates a one, while no change indicates a series of zeros.